The report – available online here – offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges, opportunities and achievements that have shaped the European cinema industry – a sector renowned for its creativity, resilience and diversity – over the past year.
Despite the lingering effects of the 2023 actors’ and writers’ strikes, total admissions across the region reached over 934.2 million, while box office was close to €7.1 billion, marking a slight increase of 0.03 per cent in revenue and a drop of 2.6 per cent in admissions compared to 2023.
Several European markets outperformed 2023, including France, the UK, Ireland, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece. France alone recorded 181.5 million admissions, bolstered by local blockbusters like Un P’tit Truc En Plus, Le Comte de Monte-Cristo and L’Amour Ouf, collectively selling over 25 million tickets.
The market share of European films in the EU reached 32.8 per cent in 2024, a significant increase from 27.7 per cent the previous year, confirming the importance of national productions in sustaining the sector.
Meanwhile, audiences across Europe flocked to animated and family films, with Walt Disney’s Inside Out 2 emerging as the highest-grossing US animated film of all time globally, surpassing the $1 billion mark in just 19 days. The film broke records in Spain and Italy, and drove admissions significantly in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Turkey.
The strength of local productions also played a vital role in the recovery. In Bulgaria, Gundi: Legend of Love – about the country’s legendary footballer Georgi Asparuhov - contributed to a record-breaking 24.4% market share for national titles, three times higher than in 2023. In Finland, national films reached a 30.4 per cent market share, with over 2 million admissions, the highest since 2017. Poland recorded a local market share of 23 per cent, while France reached 44.8 per cent, one of its highest levels ever.
In April 2025, Gower Street Analytics revised its global box office forecast for 2025 to $34.1 billion, up from the $33.0 billion estimate published in December 2024.
The report highlights both the continued resilience of cinemas and the crucial conditions needed to sustain its successful future, such as a clear and consistent theatrical exclusivity, supported by a robust film slate and coordinated marketing efforts.
The report also dives into UNIC’s advocacy work in Brussels to ensure that the voice of cinema exhibition is clearly heard in European policymaking.
Welcoming the report, UNIC President Phil Clapp said:
“The 2025 UNIC Annual Report makes abundantly clear that, despite the challenges it faced during the year, the European cinema sector continues to show strength and resilience, underpinned of course by our audience’s desire to see films in their natural home, on the big screen. Once again, the diverse offering that European cinemas make available to the public, both in terms of film content but also across a range of experiences, demonstrated our ability truly to offer ‘something for everyone’. I look forward to seeing that positive story develops further as the film slate continues to strengthen across the end of the year and into 2026.”
The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC)
The International Union of Cinemas/Union Internationale des Cinémas (UNIC) represents the interests of cinema trade associations and cinema operators covering 39 countries in Europe and neighbouring regions.
CineEurope
CineEurope 2025 is taking place 16-19 June 2025 at the Centre Convencions Internacional Barcelona (CCIB) in Barcelona, Spain. CineEurope is the longest running and most successful European convention and trade show for major, regional, and independent cinema professionals. CineEurope will feature exclusive screenings and product presentations of upcoming films, sponsored events, timely and informative seminars, and the CineEurope Trade Show. CineEurope is the Official Convention of the International Union of Cinemas/Union Internationale des Cinémas (UNIC).
The Film Expo Group
The Film Expo Group is the premier organiser of events in the motion picture industry. The Film Expo Group produces CineEurope, held in Barcelona; CineLATAM, held in Miami; and CineAsia, held in Bangkok.
Further enquiries
kjaronczyk@unic-cinemas.org | +32 4 84183910 | @CineEurope | @UNIC_Cinemas